The Last Days

Tuesday was pretty much a typical day of training. There was no surprises as I worked out with Chai on both sessions. Pretty much my day here at Fairtex is that I wake up around 7 AM, I head to the gym at 7:30 AM to run and warm up, and by 8 AM I am in the ring doing my training.

For my training I work with my trainer in the ring for 5 four minute rounds. After I'm done doing the pad work, which can be bruising, I head off to the bags and I pound the living sh*t out of it for another 5 rounds before I call it a session.

I take a shower and head off to the restaurant for breakfast where I then eat my omelette, my cereal, and fruits. And because I take a late breakfast (it is all you can eat) I go back to my room to sleep for about 2 - 3 hours, totally skipping lunch, before I wake up at around 2:15 PM so that I can get ready for the afternoon training session which starts at 3 PM.

The afternoon session, like the ones in Bangkok, are the most grueling. Everything about the morning session is the same except after I hit the bags I engage in clinch training with my trainer. There is no misunderstanding with my trainer because he speaks English. There was a mild problem at Kaewsamrit in Bangkok which I couldn't tell my trainer what I did not want to do in the clinch. If you are not careful you can easily hurt yourself in the clinch such as being thrown or screwing up your knees. This time around I specifically instructed my trainer Chai not to throw or sweep. Because of this I was able to train hard without any worries of being injured.

After the afternoon session was over I took a shower but instead of heading off to the restaurant I head back to my room where I can sleep for another few hours before I go to dinner. At dinner, I'm given a menu (I already pre-paid all of my meals) and I typically order the spaghetti with meat sauce or fish and shrimp along with french fries. The meals all come with fresh fruit as well.

After dinner is over I typically head off to my room to use the internet here or I go to the internet cafe to hang out with the locals. After I'm done answering my e-mails I head back to my room where I watch TV before I head off to bed.

That was pretty much what I did yesterday and today. However, today with it being my last day I pretty much trained harder but also took photos with the new friends that I made. I have my same core of friends who just happen to be here when I am here. This time around I made a new friend from New Zealand. Laura, who just so happened to find the Fairtex gym on a whim decided to try Muay Thai. Laura reminded me so much of my friend Lynn from the UK. I never really go to hang out with her in the beginning but towards to end of our stay we hung out a little bit.

This morning after our training session we had breakfast. I was actually there first and I was eating 'in' the restaurant. Laura comes in and asked me why I always eat in, she always eats outside. I hate it outside as it is totally hot and humid. However, seeing Laura all by herself at her table made me reconsider and I ended up biting the bullet (my lip) and went outside and pretty much just chilled (not literally, I was sweating). It was a nice chat and I was kicking myself for not hanging out a lot more. I do have to admit, those naps during the day were awesome.

For lunch I went to the mall. However, the motorcycle taxi did not have any change for my 500 baht ($15 US). The driver then took me to the 7/11 where I still was not able to get any change. I was however able to see Laura who was getting ready to leave. She told me she was leaving at "one and a half" which I took as 1:30 PM. The time was about 12:45 PM at the time and I figured I wouldn't make it back in time and I just told her to have a safe trip.

I was finally able to get some change at a mini mart only because I bought a snicker bar and the cashier broke my 500 baht. I then had a burger at the mega Central Festival Mall. After I was done eating my unhealthy goodness I looked at my watch and saw that it read 1:15 PM and I thought to myself that I can actually make it to see Laura. I told myself to at least try or I might just be kicking myself when I fly back home. I took a transport truck for 20 baht which takes you the length of the street. After I got off and paid my fare I walked back to Fairtex and into the hotel lobby where then my clock read 1:25 PM and I didn't see a hint of luggage or Laura. I smiled to myself, got my keys, and headed to my room. I forgot to ask the receptionist something so I headed back out and there I saw Laura and her huge backpack (reminiscent of a trekker) and another back pack. I then asked if she needed help and I carried the huge one to the gym where she met her trainer. Her trainer had volunteered to take her to the bus stop where she will then head off to Bangkok for another few days before she heads off to Myanmar. That place is crazy from what I've read, I hope she'll be ok. I'll have to see where this one goes.

At about an hour later I meet up with my good friend Ted. Ted is the manager of the Muay Thai division of Fairtex. He is a Japanese American that is living in Thailand. I recently saw some ads for the rental properties that Fairtex has for rent. I wanted to check the residential units out so we went for a stroll and looked up some residential units. The units are nice and I can see myself living here for a short term basis (2 weeks to one month) sometime in the future.

After hanging out with Ming, a pretty employee who is still here at Fairtex, I went to the training center to finish up my training.

After the brutal afternoon session I had dinner, a Thai massage, and now I'm sitting here getting ready to leave tomorrow morning. These past couple of weeks have been great in Thailand. They've always been good to me. I've never been to Singapore, I'm looking forward to what it has to offer me.

Fairtex

On Monday morning I woke up at 7:30 AM to begin the last leg of my training trip. I was pretty excited, Fairtex is the finest training facility in all of Asia. I was housed in a hotel suite complete with breakfast and dinner. Training started at 8 am so I was in a little rush to make it.

When I was finally ready, I walked past the in house restaurant, past the pool, and into the gym ready to get going. Training here is a little different atmosphere wise than training at Kaewsamrit. I saw Chai, the very first Muay Thai coach I ever had in Thailand. I've been to Fairtex every year for the past 4 years and every year it's still the same. The familiar faces all recognize me and it always feels good to be noticed.

While everybody else was having the trainers wrap their hands, I wrapped my own hands to the amazement of everybody else. Prior to last year I developed my own method to wrapping hands which saves time.

I then asked Chai if he could work with me and he obliged. Training at Kaewsamrit had you doing 5 minute rounds, at Fairtex the rounds were 4 minutes in duration. My pad work with Chai was awesome. When Chai saw that I was prepared he upped the pace and then some. Typically if you're new to kickboxing/thai boxing the trainer just has you throwing combos at the pads. However, Chai was throwing punches and kicks at me, so I had to work on my defense. I could block almost all of the punches and most of the leg kicks, however I had a f**cking time trying to check the body kicks. Chai was not throwing them at 100% but they still hurt. After 4 rounds of mayhem we then went to boxing techniques with my hands. This round was a lot better as I was just throwing punches. Towards the end of the round my trainer upped the pace and I banged my chest with my right hand signaling that I was ready. I have Kaewsamrit, Master Cheng, Ong, Ta, and Mao for my improved level of stamina. I finished my rounds without needing a sip of water.

It was then time for me to hit the bag. With Fairtex being such a prestine facility the bags were almost new and totally clean. I was able to bang the bag for 5 rounds before calling it a session. I then went into the locker room, took a shower, and headed out for breakfast.

Breakfast is provided at the in house restaurant. It is buffet style but you can have an omelette cooked for you which I did. I then had cereal and a couple of Thai dishes to finish up. I was then able to return to my suite to rest easy. I slept like a baby for 4 hours before it was time for the afternoon session.

The afternoon session went a lot like the first only this time my trainer realized that I was already in shape. The pad work is almost like a fight as my trainer keeps countering my strikes right after I throw them. The one thing he keeps getting me on is when I throw my left round kick to the body. I throw it right at the pad but then my trainer counters with a left leg round kick to my liver. I can't seem to counter or defend fast enough. However, because of the advanced training I received at Kaewsamrit I tend to be in a zone just so totally focused on getting the job done.

After hitting the pads it was time to hit the bag. There is a row of bags that you cannot find at Kaewsamrit but you can at Fairtex. The bag is almost from the floor to the ceiling and it is called a banana bag. With this bag you can throwing pretty everything at it and that is what I did doing my best Mike Tyson impression by throwing massive crosses and hooks. After my 5 rounds of bag work I then asked Chai if we can work on the clinch. Chai obliged and soon we were the object of everyone's attention. After about 10 minutes of clinch work a few other people were asking the Thai's if they could work it also and the trainers obliged. After a few rounds in the clinch I called it a day and had dinner.

After dinner I did all the customary things such as e-mail, internet, etc. I was able to sleep peacefully and look forward to another day of training.

Last Day, Superfight, and Pattaya City

I finished my last day of training at the Kaewsamrit gym last Friday. I knew it was going to be my last day training so I wanted to be sure to give it my best and to look good while I was training.

For the morning session I was paired off with Mao. I like working with all the trainers and Mao is no different. I was able to work the pads, pound the bag, and finish up with the customary cool down exercises.

My left foot was not bothering me but this time my left ankle is all black and purple. I did not twist it but it looks like the repeated kicking has kind of taken a toll. I said to myself that I might have to take it easy in the afternoon.

For lunch I wanted to stay local so I went to the Canteen which is right at the street corner. I ordered my usual Pad Thai with Pepsi (42 baht which is like $1.35 US). After I was done eating lunch I went straight to my room and crashed out for another couple of hours before training started.

The afternoon session is always the dreaded session. 30 minutes of rope skipping, 4 rounds of pad work, 4 - 5 rounds of bag work, clinch sparring, a 2 mile run, and the final thirty minutes for the customary cool down exercises. I was paired with Mao again and again I had a great session. However, during my work I couldn't help but notice Masashi from Japan banging the pads with Master Cheng. Part of me wishes it was me hitting those pads. Oh well, at least I got to work with him three times during this trip.

I skipped dinner because I had to go to Lumpinee Stadium to watch a couple of Megafights in downtown Bangkok. Lumpinee Stadium along with Raja Stadium are the two major stadiums for fighting in Thailand. However, Lumpinee has been regarded as the Cesars Palace of Muay Thai. Seating capacity is over 10K and I actually prepaid my ticket the week prior.

I was able to take photos with a who's who in the world of Kickboxing. I met Somrluck Khamsing (1996 Olympic Gold Medalist in boxing), Saenchai Sor Kingstar (The best fighter in Thailand today), Sam-A, and Nong-O AKA Superboy.

The fights are the major fights in all of Thailand and the top fighters themselves have fought all over the world. However, Lumpinee Stadium is Major league in all of Muay Thai. I actually took a photo with Somrluck Khamsing backstage and took another photo with a fighter who was fighting first that evening. When the first fight started I began to feel that I may have jinx this guy because he got ko'd via leg kicks in the first round. The 2nd fight was worse, the betting favorite took an elbow to the chin and was out cold. He was so out they brought in a stretcher and he was taken out of the ring. I sincerely hope he didn't get the Dennis Alexio treatment (movie Kickboxer).

When it was time for the major fights I was able to sneak backstage again and take a photo with Petchboonchu a current star in Thailand. I felt bad taking a photo with him a few minutes before he was going to do battle but he was gracious to take a photo with me.

After Petchboonchu's fight it was now time for current champion Sam-A to fight. This was billed as the truck fight as if Sam-A wins, Toyota will give him a new truck. Sam-A's opponent is actually sponsored by Isuzu, and if he wins then Isuzu will give him a new truck.

I was sitting ringside when Sam-A came in walking to the ring. There was a big red dragon reminiscent of Chinese new year walking in front of him with the drums and cymbals banging. Sam-A went into the ring looking business. The fight was even for the first 2 rounds until Sam-A just annihilated his opponent in rounds 3 and 4 with body and leg kicks. Round 5, which is also the last round was just a formality with the opponent needing a knockout to win, Sam-A just kept his distance and waited for the round to end. Sam-A wins the fight and a new truck from Toyota.

The last fight was the main event pitting living legend Nong-O and current champion F-16. With a fighter name of F-16 I figure he must be a major bad ass. I later heard that the champion's fighter name is F-16 because he is a major in the Thai Airforce. The fight was the best fight of the evening as it was pretty even for the first 3 rounds. However, towards the end of round 4 you could clearly see that Nong-O was gassed and pretty much done. The crowd towards the end of the round were shouting in Thai "All Nong-O is doing is running away." That pretty much sealed it for him. I felt bad because there even though there was no truck in the running, the fight was for 2 million baht ($80K US).

With the main event over it was then time to go home. However, I hadn't eaten since 12 pm that day and I was totally hungry. I didn't want to head back to the gym right away either, I wanted to go somewhere where I can find a fast food joint and then go home. With thousands of people trying to get a taxi, it would have been nuts trying to find one myself. Luckily for me, my friend Rob Cox was in attendance as one of the media photographers of the event. Rob told me he was going to take the subway with 2 of his fighters and then he could even drop me off by the gym. I told Rob that I did not want to go home and that I was mad starving and wanted to go to Khaosan Rd because a BK or a Mickey D's would be open. Rob recommended that I go with him to the substation, take the sky-train, and at the exit there would be a slew of taxi's available. I did just that, exited at the substation and then took a taxi to Khaosan Rd. and found BK right in front of me. I ordered a whopper meal (tastes just like home) and after finishing up another taxi was waiting to take me home which it did.

Saturday morning was horrible because it was raining like a typhoon. I really wanted to go to church but looking out I saw that had I walked on the road the water would be knee high and I totally did not want to walk in that for 20 minutes or more to get to a place where a taxi would pass. So when the gym asked me if I wanted to go to Siam Boxing Stadium in Omnoi where current ace fighter Singmanee was going to fight that day I obliged. And as luck would have it as soon as I got in the car, the rain had already stopped and the water had subsided I said to myself "damn, I couldn't gone to church." I already committed to going with the gym so I didn't say anything and just went for the ride. I've never been to Siam Boxing Stadium which is in Omnoi, Thailand. The ride was pretty cool, I got to see things that I haven't seen like the country side of Thailand. The Stadium itself looked ok, it didn't not look as majestic like Raja or as historical like Lumpinee. But the stadium looked nice inside and the local TV station was going to cover it.

Singanee won his fight via points. After his fight I was just flat out tired of watching fights. As soon as I got home I crashed for a few hours. When I woke up, the afternoon training session had ended and I was asked by Hsu Chiu if I wanted to go with her to Central World (Mega Shopping Mall) and Big C (Thailand's Target). I said why not so I accompanied her to Central World where she ended up buying a handbag for who knows how much. And we went to Big C where she ended up buying 3 big bags of Thai Coffee.

After she was done shopping it was then time to eat. I was pretty cool with going to McDonald's or KFC or something like that but something told me that we were going somewhere else. We ended up eating at Shabu-Sen a Shabu Shabu restaurant (Japanese style Hot Pot buffet). After dinner we went back home and with the internet cafe closed I invited Hsu to my room where she could use my laptor for a couple of hours. Even though it was late I really did not mind as I had 2 hours of laundry to finish up as I was leaving the next day.

The following morning Hsu woke me up to have breakfast with the team. It was my last meal with them as I was going to be leaving in about 3 - 4 hours. After breakfast I finished up one of my bags and I then headed out to pay my respects to the people at the canteen who took care of me, Jimmy from the internet cafe, and finally to the people at the gym. It sucked leaving these guys as the gym is like a family. I told Cheng that I was leaving to go to Pattaya and he asked when I was coming back. I told him sincerely that maybe next year and he thought I might be coming back to do more training with them in a couple of days. When the rest of the trainers knew that I was leaving they all gave me a hug and wished me the best of luck.

I've only been to three gyms in Thailand over the past 4 years since I started flying to Thailand. I met a friend Richard this time out and he just goes to like 3 -4 gyms in 3 - 4 weeks. There is nothing wrong with what he is doing and I've always wanted to check out the other gyms as well. However, when you do not commit time (2 weeks minimum) to a gym you do not form any bonds with any of the people you meet. Out of the gyms that I go to, almost everybody remembers me. When my taxi finally came, most of the fighters and trainers were gone as there was a fight at Bangkok University and 4 of team's boxers had a fight. The girls who were left behind carried my luggage to the Taxi. I said my farewells and one of the girls who goes by Ai said, "see you next year right?" I just smiled and off I went.

Pattaya is like an hour and a half away. When I finally got there I was dropped off at Fairtex, the finest kickboxing training facility in all of Asia if not the world. I checked in, paid my dues, and went to my room to crash before having dinner. I woke up, had dinner which was fish and chips at the in house restaurant. After dinner I went for a foot massage and then a total body Thai massage at the local parlor. I then crashed knowing that I better rest up for the carnage that was going to happen tomorrow.

The Zone

Here at Kaewsamrit Gym, you do not really need an alarm clock. Once the bells rings you'll immediately hear the sound of kicks hitting the pads and grunts from the fighters who yell them. That typically tells you that training has started for the Thai fighters which is typically at 6:30 AM.

That is what happened to me today as I normally start training a good 30 minutes after the Thai fighters start. I drink my cold green tea beverage, get dressed for training, and head out to the gym.

Surprisingly there were not a lot of people that came out for the morning session. I was then called out to the ring by trainer Mao who I've worked with a few times during my stay here. I was able to stretch but I was not able to warm up the way that I wanted.

During the first round of my training there was nothing significant as it typically starts slow and then builds and builds until finally towards the end you're at a pace that was a lot faster than when you started. However, it was during the 2nd round that I realized something and it was something I haven't felt in so long. I realized that I was not getting tired and I was not getting winded. It was the same feeling when I was on the Delta College wrestling team. Wrestling is another grueling sport that I participated in my youth. Three weeks into the season I realized that not only was I in great shape but that I had what seemed to be an unlimited gas tank.

When I competed as a Shootwrestler (combat sport made famous in Japan) my strategy for competing was what I called "taking them out to drown." The analogy was like taking somebody slowly out to sea until they couldn't get out. I would push a pace that my opponent could not match until after 10 minutes I would make them fold and I would score a submission with a leglock, armlock, or a choke.

During the middle of that 2nd round I felt alive. I started to push to the amazement of my trainer. My body had adjusted to this great training and I wanted to take advantage of it. Did I want to spar with anybody there? No, that was would be crazy...The fighters from Thailand would've killed me. But it was great finishing up my training that morning. Only small problem was that I think I pushed it a little too hard. After breakfast I couldn't resist sleeping.

I slept for a few hours before the afternoon session began. Again, I slept so good that I missed lunch. I trained with Ong this time and had a decent session. However, after the bag work and the clinch training it was time to do drills. Master Cheng had us do one drill in which we would throw a "one two" and a "rear leg kick" (left jab, followed by a right straight, and finally a rear leg round kick to the body). We would run that combo 20 times at Cheng, who was holding pads. After that combo we had to throw 20 front leg round kicks at him as well. I was able to do both. After that we had to run about 2 miles, do 60 push ups, and 100 sit ups. Honestly, I was able to do them all. It kind of sucks because I'm scheduled to leave in a few days to go to the Fairtex Gym in Pattaya City. I'm now getting used to the training and have been acclimated over here.

After training we had to saw good bye to one of my friends. Sloan, from Sydney, Australia, left today to go back home. Sloan was a great bloke and training partner. I hope to see him again someday in the future.

After dinner I went out to the internet cafe to hang out with the locals and to just chill out. Now, I'm here just typing away. It's about almost 12 midnight here in Thailand. I'm going to catch some z's and charge up again. Tomorrow is my last day training here at Kaewsamrit.

Tired and Exhausted

I woke up this morning feeling weak. I wasn't sick, but I was getting the feeling that the endless 2 training sessions per day was finally taking its toll. I could've slept in like some of my peers or just not go to the morning session at all like some of the other guys. However, I was motivated to try to at least complete the session.

Luckily for me, my trainer today was Ong. I liked Ong, he can be tough but because he's constantly looking around the room just be aware of everything he take momentary breaks. It is during these breaks that I can catch my breath and rest a little. The morning session was easy this time around and I was able to complete it without incident.

After breakfast and a short nap, I decided to go to MBK to have lunch. Also, I was planning on going to Lumpinee to buy some equipment for my friends at the gym. At MBK, I decided to have an old favorite...McDonald's. I ordered my Filet 'O Fish meal with a coke and started eating and drinking like it was the best thing on Earth. The only problem is that after I ate it I started feeling a little sick. There was nothing wrong with the food but since I've been eating, fish, chicken, rice, and fruits I guess my body could not tolerate the grease this time around. I felt a little slow to say the least.

After eating I took motorcycle taxi to Lumpinee. Motorcycle taxi's are fun but man they are scary also. Imagine just zipping through chaotic traffic, through cracks and creases, and through all the mess and you can see what it is like. I finally arrived at my destination, bought my gear, and took a regular cab back home.

I trained in the afternoon with Ong again and the afternoon session went a lot like the first except my left foot was bothering me again. I was able to complete the session without incident but deep down I want my foot to heal so that I can push it to the next gear tomorrow.

Tuesday Training

Yesterday's training left me bruised, tired, and beat up. I could have skipped the morning session or taken a day off altogether but I decided not to. I figure I paid for hard training so I might as well get it over with.

It rained hard last night so there was no running this time around. I spent most of the time before 7 am stretching and getting myself limbered up. Once my body was greased up and ready to go, Master Cheng calls me into the ring to work with him.

Working with Master Cheng was great. However, I have a definitive bad habit; I tend to keep my right hand low. Apparently this was a glaring weakness as Cheng spent a good majority picking at my low right hand. By the time I got the message I was just so damn tired. However, morning session is always the best as the weather is cool and the training is not as long.

After working the bag and doing the customary exercises it was time to call it a session. The morning session happens to be the favorite session among us foreigners. After 4 rounds of pad work and 4 to 5 rounds on the bag you are pretty much done. Take in the customary 4 - 5 mile run and you have a workout that burns a lot of calories.

However, the morning session still takes a lot out of you. Most of us take a nap after breakfast. Today myself and two of my friends from Canada decided to head over to the Top King store to buy equipment. I bought a new pair of shin guards and Robert and Andrew bought some new gloves. After a taxi ride home it was time to crash. I was able to sleep for a few hours before the carnage which is the afternoon session started to take place.

The afternoon session is the session that everybody dislikes the most. It is long, hard, and grueling. After skipping rope for about 30 minutes it was time to stretch. After stretching I was called into the ring to work with Ta. Working with Ta was great this time around. The pace started slow but by the 4th round the pace was at fever pitch, at least for me. I was able to finish the work and then I started to work the bag. Working the bag is sometimes boring as you have an apparatus that does not hit back or bark instructions. All you do is hit it with your techniques for what seems like an eternity. And with more people showing up at the afternoon session, the session just drags.

Hitting the bag normally is not a problem for me, however I suffered a minor nerve injury to the bottom of my left foot. Running with shoes is not a problem and kicking the pads is not a problem either. You might wonder why kicking the pad is not a problem, it is because as a south paw I kick with the left leg. It's rare that I have to plant on it. But today it was really hard, I took 2 rounds off in between my bag rounds because the ache was totally screwing with me.

After 30 to 40 minutes of hitting the bag, it was then time to run. Because I have a custom fitted pair or Nike's with the custom orthodics, running was no problem. It was not a breeze, I was still dragging a**, but I was able to run. And after the run and the cool down it was time to call it a day.

While I was sitting, drinking my gatorade, and just pondering what had just happened I took a glimpse at the Thai kids that were still training. Both Robert and I observed their training. While Robert and I were suffering to just get through the bag rounds, the kids were throwing 200 to 300 knees at the bag per round. While we were doing four five minute rounds, the kids were doing close to 10. While we were finished the kids still had to spar. It was a rigid but spectacular display of will, technique, and determination. I always hoped that someday I would be able to get to that level.

That brings us to now. With dinner, I just ate enough to be satisfied. I was never a big fan of Thai food and I want to keep losing weight. Come Friday I'll treat myself to a steak dinner again, but for now just eating to be satisfied will do.

More to come tomorrow. Another morning training session to get psyched up about.

Weekend and Stretch Run

After a night that I'd rather forget, I decided to take Saturday off. As a practicing Seventh Day Adventist I decided to attend Mission Seventh Day Adventist church for the morning's worship service. However, before I left I was asked by the gym to stay behind for a few minutes as there was a girl, who was doing a documentary on Muay Thai, that wanted to interview me.

I stayed around and was interviewed. I was asked general questions on why I went to Thailand to train, how is the training, how does Muay Thai Compare to other martial arts, and finally to give a shout out to anyone who was going to watch the documentary.

I was honored to do the interview and fortunately I was not the only one that was being interviewed. The rest of my gym mates were interviewed but I feel that mine was the best because I answered every question not only honestly but to give an interesting answer so that the interviewer came off with a great interview.

After sticking around for a few minutes it was then time for me to go to church. After arriving at Mission Seventh Day Adventist church I was notified that communion was going to take place. I was happy that I made the right decision to attend.

After the service I then took a motorcycle taxi to Siam Paragon. Siam Paragon is Southeast Asia's biggest mall. I decided to have lunch there and did not really have a place in mind. When I arrived within the vicinity of Siam Paragon I ended up seeing an Outback Steakhouse on the rooftop. I then decided that was where I was going to have lunch. Outback Steakhouse never tasted so good.

After deciding that I had enough fun for the day I took a Taxi back to the gym. The afternoon session was still going on. When I'm training I never get to see the other people train, particularly the pro's. I took it upon myself to watch and learn how the pro's bang it out. I've seen pro's train many times and it just never gets old for me.

After dinner it was time to wind down and get ready for the next day.

Sunday is a day off for the gym. There is no training for anyone so everybody pretty much just slept in. When I woke up around 10 am I went to have breakfast when the owner of the gym called us out and told us that there are some Muay Thai fights that were being shown on TV but that we could actually be there live free of charge. As soon as I heard that the fights were free I was all over it.

The ride to the fights gave me a perspective on how big Bangkok is. Bangkok is a huge city, it took another 45 minutes to an hour just to get to the fights. The fights were good, they were not as good as the ones at Rajadamnern Stadium the previous week. However, I liked being there and soaked up the atmosphere.

We got back relatively early in the afternoon so I decided to get a haircut. I've gotten a haircut from the same hairdresser here in Thailand for the past three years. It was here that my friend Diogo asked me if I wanted to go with him to Khaosan Rd. to get a pizza after my haircut. I replied that it would be fine.

After my haircut I asked Diogo why we had to go all the way to Khaosan Rd. to get a pizza when we could just go to Pizza Company (Thailand's Domino's) or Pizza Hut. Diogo stated that the pizza that we were going to eat is the best pizza in Bangkok and that it was authentic in the style of Italy. Knowing that it probably is a great pizza I nevertheless wanted to piss Diogo off.

I repeatedly kept asking Diogo if the pizza really was good. I stated that there are probably some better places that we can go to but that he just wanted to go Khaosan Rd. because the pizza was probably the cheapest. I then stated how can we be eating authentic Italian Pizza when we were in Bangkok in the middle of Southeast Asia. Diogo then replied in his Portuguese accent:

'My friend, you probably think that the Pizza you eat in the States is the best. I really think that the pizza you eat at Pizza Hut or Pizza Company is shit and is a bastardized version of the true pizza that comes from Italy. Being from Portugal I am true fan of Italian food and when I say that the pizza at Khaosan Rd. is authentic and tastes better than any of the shit you just mentioned I really mean it. If you do not want to go with me to Khaosan Rd . then just say so and go to the Central Pin Klao (Shopping Mall) and have that bastardized recipe you call a pizza.'

I then laughed and stated that I was looking forward to eating at Khaosan Rd. and tasting the pizza he mentioned. I then stated that I just wanted to piss him off. He smiled, called me an a-hole, and then we were off to have dinner.

I really do not like Khaosan Rd., it is a major tourist attraction and it is constantly packed with people, especially on weekends. When we finally arrived at our destination I surveyed the area and really liked the atmosphere. I ordered a pizza (the name of the pizza I cannot pronounce) and I must say it was a great pizza. Really thin crust, not too much sauce, and it did not look anything like I was used to. I gave my thumbs up to Diogo and called it a day.

With the weekend behind me it was time to get serious. I view this week as a crucial week for me in terms of my weight and fitness. Last week was a week to get acclimated, get used to the training, and take in some good food with some good people. I then decided that I was going to sleep well, eat right, and train hard.

The morning training was first and with a new group of people from Canada I wanted to get my work in as soon as possible. I worked with trainer Ta and he pushed me hard. For four five minute rounds I went non stop and earned the respect of my trainer. My punches are ok but my left leg was dialed in. My wind was strong and after the rounds with Ta, I then went to work on the bag. All in all it was 3 hours of hard training. Harder than most of the other morning sessions I had simply because I wanted to train harder.

After that morning session I had breakfast and after breakfast I had to sleep. My body was aching and I wanted to recuperate for the longer and harder afternoon session. When the afternoon session started I decided to work with Mao, a former champion of Thailand. Working with Mao was good because he corrected a lot of my technique. Again it was non-stop work for 4 rounds. After about 5 - 6 rounds on the bag it was time for clinch training. I was paired off with Robert a Chinese Muay Thai practitioner from Canada. He got tired faster than I did but he killed me in the clinch. It was obvious he was better in the clinch than I was. I stuck it out but it was tough. After clinching it was time to run and I did not have much gas to run after the 2 previous hours of training. I did stick it out and ran and after the customary cool down exercises it was time to call it a day.

So right now in Thailandit is about 11:20 pm on Monday evening. I have 4 more days to dial it in before I leave for the Fairtex Gym in Pattaya City.

Khaosan Rd.

Training took a different twist. I was getting myself ready when Cheng, who runs the camp for the international boxers told me to train with the Thai fighters at the other side of the gym. I was happy initially because that part of the gym is not as crowded but I was also scared because that part of the gym is where the true hardcore training is done.

I was in the process of limbering up when head trainer Neng called me out into the ring. I've never worked with Neng but I am aware that he is an awesome trainer. The man does not speak English but he carries a big stick (literally) and demands that you put forth your best effort when you train.

Training with Neng was totally hard and crazy. I've never trained that hard in Thailand. It was a non stop blitz of offensive and defensive techniques. I was so tired but I was able to keep up. To make matters worse, that part of the gym is the most humid of all of the gym. I found out that they put me there because there was a group from Canada and Spain that arrived that morning.

After a sleep so awesome that I forgot to eat lunch it was time to train again in the afternoon. This time I was paired with my original trainer Lang who had trained me for the past two years. Lang is an awesomely good trainer he works at a brisk pace, almost as fast as Neng but Lang gives momentary 10 seconds breaks. It was awesome training with him again. As a matter of fact, today was the best day I had training.

Since it is Friday I decided to go out for dinner. I ended up having a steak from Sizzler and in the process of looking for a taxi I see my gym brother's Toby and Diogo (Portugal) also looking for a cab. I decided to roll with them as they told me they were going back to the gym. As soon as we found a cab Toby breaks the news with a sinister, "Brian, we are not going back to the gym, we are going to a special place in Khaosan Rd." I asked, "what special place?" and Diogo replied "special massage."

Scared out of mind...it's going to be a long night.